Disclaimer: I do not own RE.

Well, here we go! [[This fic takes place AU before the Mansion Incident. Emphasis on AU.]]

Chapter 1: Enterlude

"You disgust me." Claire growled, slamming the door in his face.

"Good!" Wesker shouted back.

He wasn't overly fond of arguing with Claire but that's what couples did. They had been duking it out all evening, right after he had come home from a emergency call. He was shot at. for the first time in his career. The shooter waved around a twelve-gauge shotgun, threatening to blow Wesker's brains out, when in reality, he just shot him right in the chest, knocking him back two feet, and giving him a concussion when his head in the ground. The kevlar saved him, but the sheer force of the blast broke three ribs and bruised the living hell out of his chest. When he came home, she had never been so worried in her life. And Wesker hated it when she worried.

"You could have been killed, Albert!" Claire shouted.

"But I wasn't." He retorted.

"That doesn't make this any less ok! You have to stop trying to be a hero, Albert. Because one day they'll be knocking on that door to tell me that you didn't make it."

"Being a hero is my job, Claire. I am an officer of the law, I protect people… and I protect you."

"I hate it…" She muttered, turning away from him.

Wesker sighed and reached for her hand but she retracted. "I'm only doing what I have to do."

"And it's gonna get you killed."

"Well that's what I signed up for."

Claire stormed up the stairs towards their bedroom, Wesker hot on her heals.

"You disgust me."

Wesker wanted to throttle something. He had a very hard time understanding where Claire was trying to come from. She was raised very differently than him and she was taught very different morals. He thought, for a moment, that she was being selfish. But he then realized that she was just scared. Scared because she was right about him keeping this job. It was dangerous and Claire had not one, but two people she cared for working through S.T.A.R.S. Chris was always another worry of hers, she constantly troubled over the well being of Chris and Wesker.

He leaned up against the door, pressing his forehead to the wood. "Claire." He called. "Open the door."

She didn't respond. He sighed again, tapping his boot on the floor.

"Dearheart, please. We can talk if you'd like." Wesker was always lousy at reassurance but after dating Claire, he had become more accustomed to using empathy despite the fact that he barely had any.

The door unlocked and Wesker pushed it open. She was standing in front of him, eyes puffy from crying, jaw clenched in anger.

"Go on then," She started. "Talk."

"I know that this makes you anxious, Claire but you have to understand that this is what I do. This is my job. Protecting people from complete idiots," Wesker pointed to his chest. "who wave shotguns around like it's a damned circus. It makes it harder for you, I understand, because you have Chris too but, dearheart, who would do this if we didn't?"

Claire tried to avoid eye contact with him, it made her feel small for some reason. Wesker was a big guy, well built, six foot three, and a ferocious vibe that hung about him. He was domineering in everything he did. Claire did not take too lightly to intimidation before she met Wesker but she had become accustomed to his person.

"I'm just worried about you." She mumbled. "All the time."

Wesker held her face gently in his calloused hands. "I know." He planted a kiss on her beautifully pouted lips. "I'll try to be safer from now on, yes?" His thumbs brushed along her cheeks, his tender touch sending chills down her spine.

Claire nodded, losing the eye contact battle with his gray-blue hues. Leaning into his touch, Wesker wrapped his arms around Claire's shoulders, holding her against his chest. He tried to ignore the pain as he pressed her harder against him. She gripped his shirt tightly as though she thought he might drown without her hold.

Wesker kissed her neck, biting the skin there, making Claire gasp. His snaked a hand up her t-shirt, using his slender fingers to unhook her bra and pulled it out from under the fabric, tossing it on the floor somewhere in the dark room. Both his hands moved to squeeze her breasts while his mouth still worked her neck and shoulder. Claire tossed her head back languidly, Wesker's constant nipping made her moan quietly, untied hair tickling her back.

He stood back, and grabbed her shirt at the bottom, lifting it up and off of her slender body. Claire began unbuttoning his blue work shirt, pulling it from its tucked in position. Her fingers traced over the dark red and purple bruises that adorned the majority of his chest. The blood vessels under the skin had ruptured, causing trails of deep red to run on the face of his flesh. Wesker growled, like a wolf, a deep and throaty sound that was unlike anything Claire had ever heard. And it turned her on like no other.

She began to kneel down but Wesker caught her arm roughly, pulling her back up. Their faces were centimeters apart, their noses touching.

"Just you tonight, dearheart." Wesker murmured. "You deserve it."

Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she nodded nervously. She and Wesker had always shared the work during sex. She was lusting after him more than ever yet, somewhere in the back of her mind, she was frightened as to what Wesker might to do her body. He was feral during sex and as much as Claire loved it, she wished he would take it easy sometimes. Maybe tonight would be that night.

He picked her up, tossing her onto the bed. She watched as he pulled his belt through its loops, giving the last tug a snap. His wicked smirk grew when Claire gaped a little at the way his muscles expanded and constricted as he breathed. He kicked his boots off and pushed down his pants slowly, leaving him only in his tight black boxer briefs.

Claire laughed. "Maybe your new job should be a male stripper."

Wesker crawled onto the bed, pinning her hands above her head.

"Funny." He quipped.

There was dominance in the way he pinned her down. His strong legs trapped hers and one large hand held her wrists her together. Wesker used the other hand to hook a finger in the waistband of her athletic shorts. He pulled them down slowly, keeping excruciating eye contact with her. He was pleasantly surprised to find that she wasn't wearing any panties, and he raised a blonde eyebrow in pure amusement. Claire squirmed under him, the grip on her wrists beginning to get tiresome

He pressed his body down on her, heat and friction colliding, making Claire moan breathlessly into the crook of his neck. He was hot and hard as he pressed his erection against her clit, releasing her hands they immediately found his bare shoulders. The coolness of the room and the way Wesker rolled his hips to grind against her made her shiver.

"Please… Albert…" That breathless plea was met with satisfaction as Wesker sat on his knees and pushed down his briefs, kicking them off. He regained his position above her, his blonde hair falling into his stormy hues. He brought one hand to cup her face gently, his lips tugged in a small smile that made Claire's heart flutter.

He kissed her pink lips, passion laced in the way he deepened it by latching onto some of her hair that fell about her neck. Their eyes met for a moment, each of them drinking in the other. The way Wesker was treating her was bewildering. He was tender, almost loving. She could feel the heat of his erection against her inner thigh and she pleaded again. Wesker gripped the base of his cock, guiding in towards Claire's pretty pink opening. Pushing himself in slowly, inch by inch was making Claire dig her nails into his shoulders. Her mouth hung open, no words able to escape. Finally he had met her all the way, his hips pressing into her thighs. He stayed like that for a moment, teasing her. Still at loss for words, she wrapped her legs around his hips, trying to pull him in closer. Wesker buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her faint scent from her shower this morning. He set a slow pace, long and languid strokes that left Claire with a raging heat in her belly. His mouth was at her ear, whispering something in a different language. She could only assume it was German. His mother country.

The pace he was working at was driving Claire mad, he had it slow, meeting every single one with pure lust. He continued to whisper sweet nothings in her ear…

"Mein liebster, Claire…" He lifted his face to kiss her parted lips, her moans mingling with his breath. "Ich wollte dich nie verletzen, dearheart."

She had no clue what he was saying to her but she liked it. Her legs wrapped tighter around him, her orgasm creeping up within her. Claire's eyes closed as she laid her head on the feather-stuffed pillow. Albert Wesker was making love to her. He was gentle, his very touch as tender. Biting her bottom lip, Claire began to recall their first time… her first time, in fact. He was rough, hardly taking in consideration of the pain he was causing her. It almost felt as if she was with a different man at this moment.

Each thrust sent her a little closer. Each bite, kiss, and suck, made her stomach bunch in knots.

"Albert… I-I have to…"

"Come for me, dearheart." He commanded, propping himself up on an elbow, he used one hand to rub a thumb into her clit and the other to cup her face.

"Schau mich an, Claire." He asked in German. "Look at me," he repeated in English.

She did as she was asked, her deep blue eyes boring into his. The contrast between the two blues was stunning as she drank in the look beyond them. Wesker marveled at her like she was the only woman on earth, like she was the center of the damned universe. And that made her feel loved.

Even if he would never say so, she believed that Wesker loved her in his own cynical way.

Claire cried out as the first wave of euphoria hit her like a mac truck. She raked her nails down Wesker's back, just the way he liked it. That slow and seductive pace never changed but he rubbed her clit harder, eliciting delightful moans from her.

"Say my name." Wesker growled in her ear.

"Albert!" Claire cried out, pressing her forehead to his shoulder.

"Good girl… gutes mädchen"

With one last thrust, he sent Claire over the edge as she screamed his name, making Wesker growl with satisfaction. He came shortly after her, gripping her hips with such force, there were sure to be bruises forming by morning. His breath was labored as he bent down to plant a kiss on her lips, sucking in a deep breath.

Claire nuzzled into the crook of his neck, his hot bare chest pressing against her own. She ran her fingers through his hair, planting kisses on the inside of his neck.

"I love you…" She muttered into the dark.

"I know."

XXXXX

Wesker tapped is pen against the table. He dragged his eyes over to his wristwatch.

3:36 AM.

Damn…

He waited until Claire was asleep before he got ready for work.

"Coffee, Al?" William asked from across the room as he got up from his chair to stretch.

Wesker seemingly didn't register what his friend was asking, his mind tacked onto Claire.

"What?"

William pointed to the door. "Coffee? You know, that black sludge your drink to stay awake?"

Wesker chuckled. "Yes… please."

William left with a laugh, the door snapping shut promptly behind him. Wesker sighed, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, sore, and frustrated. It had almost been three months since their last breakthrough. Everything was off course, it wasn't going the way they planned nor wanted. The worst possible part was that Spencer had been breathing down their necks for the past few days, trying to monitor every little thing they did so as to produce the best results. However, much to Williams dismay, that only made Wesker angrier. In fact, just yesterday, he had shoved one of Spencer's men into the wall, breaking his nose and sending him scampering down the hall, tail tucked between his legs.

The younger scientist came back with a white mug full of steaming black coffee, just the way Wesker liked it. He set it down next to his friends arm, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"Please tell me you've had a breakthrough in the last," William glanced at the clock on the wall. "Five minutes I was gone?" The sarcasm in his tone was palpable.

"Unfortunately, no." Wesker deadpanned. "William, I'm beginning to think we need a clean slate."

He shook his head. "No." He quipped. "No way." William shook his head, running a hand through his dirty blonde locks. "Not after all we've been through! Al, you seriously can't be considering getting rid of everything we've been working towards."

"I'm seriously considering it."

"And do what? Beg Spencer for more money to start something completely brand spankin' new? You know he'll slap your hand with a ruler and shun you for even trying."

"As much as I adore your silly metaphors, William, I think we need to approach him with an idea. A very specific idea."

The younger man crossed his arm. "Ok and what's your big plan?"

Wesker ran his hands over his face, groaning. "I don't know yet."

William threw his hands up in the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, he doesn't know yet!" he shouted sarcastically.

"We already have the resources and the extra money that's left over we can put towards this." Wesker suggested, taking a generous gulp of his coffee.

"You want to restart T?" William asked with trepidation.

Wesker nodded. "That's exactly what I want to do."

"I don't know, Al…" William started. "Last time almost got us killed. We weren't careful enough."

"That was three years ago, Will."

His friend shuffled, contemplating on whether or not Wesker's idea was good. It was risky, it really was. T, despite its undeveloped stage, was very, very dangerous. One drop could infect and kill anyone within a five mile radius. Not only that but they had discovered that T had an infection rate that skyrocketed well above the Flu. Those terrifying statistics practically forced Spencer to shut it down. Back then, he wasn't yet interested in the world, not to mention the money, of bio organic weapons. Wesker and William were his best researches, brought in to do honest work. Or at least, that's what it seemed like. Umbrella's ruse was uncovered quite quickly by the two after they had seen one of their colleagues shot and killed for disclosing information that they shouldn't have. It was then that the two men realized what work they had been roped into.

It was filthy.

William had a family and that was his biggest concern before they began the T project. Spencer had assured him that his wife and daughter would be safe within the hands of the company. Wesker, on the other hand, had nobody. He didn't have Claire, at least not yet, so his liabilities were hardly considered what they started.

Wesker clenched his jaw thinking of Claire. He was trying his damnedest to keep her away from this. His sneaking around wouldn't last forever though and eventually, she would have to know the truth. But until that day, Wesker would continue to do lab work at ungodly hours of the night.

A/N: There is the first chapter of Empathy And Apathy! Hope you liked all that frickity frack, all that boomity bang. If you could, leave a review cause you know how much that helps me out! E&A will be a multi-chapter just in case you didn't catch that in the AN in the last chapter of SOM. Thank you for reading and look out for the next chapter where we delve a little further into why Claire is Empathy and Wesker is Apathy.